How Often Should You Work Out Each Week?

There’s a good chance many of us in the U.S. might be over-exercising or not exercising enough. So, how many days should we be working out per week? While there’s no straightforward answer for everyone, there are some tips to help. The pointers below will help you make the most of your workout days to see some serious fitness results.

How many times a week should you workout?

The short answer to this question is three to four times a week. WebMD suggests 150 minutes per week as an ideal routine. But, the first thing we should clarify is what is a workout. When we talk about how often you should workout, it is any physical activity that involves resistance training or cardio activity that elevates your heart rate. Now let’s talk about what might be best for you. With all that is going on in life, you may not be able to work out three to four times a week.

In this situation, anything is better than nothing. So, the real answer to the question is that you should work out as often as you can realistically can in a week. The best exercise regimen will always be one that you can stick with and follow. It doesn’t really matter what the routine is as long as it is sustainable for you. Time is not the only consideration for your routine. You should also consult your doctor to ensure that you are healthy enough to engage in a long term workout regimen.

Often your health insurance or health plan will provide you with a number of wellness checks that will allow you to verify this with your doctor. You should consult your insurance policy, network provider, and health care provider for this information. If you are in need of health insurance, you can use iSelect.com to browse health insurance plans so that you can make sure you in the best shape to get in shape.

Is a four-day routine enough?

Absolutely! If you are working out 4 days a week this will give you plenty of time to work out all of the major muscle groups adequately, and also give you enough time to rest and recover each week. A four-day routine also means that you can divide each workout session evenly. You can train upper body muscles twice per week and lower body muscles the other two days. This will ensure that you get an even workout for your whole body.

Is a three-day routine enough?

Yes, even exercising three times per week is enough to achieve your goals. If your goal is to improve your strength or fitness, three days of exercise is the minimum training frequency recommended. If you want to get physically stronger you will need at least three days in order to build up your muscle mass repetitively. You have two ways of maximizing a three day workout week. You can choose to split up routine over two weeks and create a six-day regimen or you can do three unique workouts per week.

Is a five-day routine too much?

You, however, might be someone who can dedicate more time during the week to exercise more regularly. It’s still recommended that you work out three to four times per week. This is simply because it is a more sustainable goal and will give you some room for adjustments. Can you work out more than three to four times a week though? Yes. If you can handle it, you can certainly exercise as much as five to six times per week.

This means that not every workout should push your body to the limit. If you are working out five or more times a week, one or two of your sessions needs to be a lighter workout or low-intensity cardio session. This is because you will have to allow your body time to rest and recover from all of the stress of exercising.

Between checking in with your health insurance policy and learning more about your body, you can manage your exercise routine more capably.